VBCR - December 2017, Vol 6, No 5
Based on their findings, Ms Khanna and colleagues suggest that patients with RA should consider the benefits of adopting a vegetarian or vegan diet, eliminate any foods that could potentially cause an allergic reaction, and introduce more polyunsaturated fatty acids—found in oily fish, plant-based oils, and walnuts—into their diet.
Previous clinical trials have demonstrated that tocilizumab monotherapy was superior to tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) monotherapy and comparable to tocilizumab plus methotrexate (MTX).
This retrospective analysis of the Optum One electronic health record (EHR) databases from various Integrated Delivery Networks (IDNs) and large group practices across the United States was conducted to examine the EHR reporting rates of several clinical measures among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who received a biologic or a targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (tsDMARD).
The analysis of the COMPACT trial sought to demonstrate noninferiority of tocilizumab alone versus tocilizumab plus methotrexate (MTX) in maintaining clinical response in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who achieve low disease activity (LDA) following treatment with tocilizumab plus MTX.
Sarilumab, a human monoclonal antibody against interleukin-6 receptors, is currently approved for patients with moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA), based on efficacy and safety data from several clinical trials.
Although tocilizumab has been known to elevate serum lipid levels in patients with RA, its cardiovascular effects are unknown.
The MONARCH trial showed that subcutaneous sarilumab was superior to adalimumab monotherapy in reducing disease activity and improving physical function in active rheumatoid arthritis. Patients who completed the initial double-blind phase in MONARCH continued to the open-label extension and received sarilumab monotherapy.
“One of the biggest challenges in the management of RA is monitoring disease effectively, in order to avoid missing flare-ups,” said Dr Walker and colleagues, adding that the use of patient-reported outcomes to complement disease monitoring is recommended by the European League Against Rheumatism.
“Managing patients with PsA disease requires a greater understanding of how joints and skin respond differently to therapy. Control of both joint and skin symptoms are important for overall disease management of these patients,” Dr Muram and colleagues stated.
Dr Klink and colleagues collected data on patient characteristics and healthcare resource use for 104 patients receiving an anti–TNF-alpha and 34 patients receiving abatacept who met criteria for eRPRA classification before receiving their first treatment with a bDMARD.